Brain zaps for schizophrenia: new study tests quick fix for motivation loss
NCT ID NCT07428460
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests a quick, 5-day brain stimulation treatment for the 'negative symptoms' of schizophrenia, like low motivation and social withdrawal. 75 adults with stable schizophrenia will get either real or fake (placebo) stimulation. The goal is to see if this approach is safe and can improve these hard-to-treat symptoms.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 75 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
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May 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophreniform disorder * Duration of illness ≥ 6 months * Clinically significant negative symptoms * Must have been on a stable pharmacological treatment for at least 4 weeks before entering the study * Clinicians will confirm that patients' negative and positive symptoms have been stable per their clinical opinion for at least 3 months. * Participants must be able to provide informed consent * Ability to undergo MRI scanning Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy, lactation, or an intrauterine device * History of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the past 6 months * Use of licit or illicit substances (excluding cannabis) during the week of treatment and in the 24 hours prior to fMRI scans * Contraindications for TMS * Previous treatment with rTMS * Documented history of significant intellectual disability * Primary diagnosis of psychotic disorder secondary to a medical condition or substance-induced psychosis.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGMontreal, Quebec, H1N 3M5, Canada
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Institut universitaire de santé mentale de Québec - Centre de recherche CERVO
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGQuébec, Quebec, G1J 2G3, Canada
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McGill Lab for Computational Psychiatry and Translation - Burland Pavilion 6875 Boulevard LaSalle Montreal, QC
RECRUITINGVerdun, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Scientists probe brain's reward system in mental illness
- Can talk therapy and social coaching ease early psychosis?
- Brain training may reshape brain chemistry in schizophrenia
- Could a single daily dose of clozapine work just as well?
- A gentle brain zap might boost medication adherence in schizophrenia
- Can sound and light waves calm the mind in schizophrenia?